Indonesia is, unfortunately, not often talked-about for its Metal scene; something of great growth in many countries of South-East Asia. Symphonic Metal band BLODWEN hail from there with a delicious mix of heaviness, genius composition with roots in the neo-classical, and an oozing-charismatic female voice.

"Eye of Storm" is the first track on this EP, which begins with a fast-paced and soaring, Power Metal intro, carrying on its back Bernice's beautiful vocals, who shares an instantly recognisable similarity with Simone Simons and Tarja. What I must commend her on is not restricting her voice to higher octaves, but is capable of incredibly low, sultry notes such as on "Hampa Dunia". This track, sung entirely in Indonesian, is certainly an apt, exotic touch. Keeping the heavy, powerful riffs, it capitalises on her boundless vocal ability, particularly in the infectious chorus. If it isn't enough, the guitar solo on this track is equally as beautiful, with a dual harmony that sounds incredibly Scandinavian; a comparison that has surely become a compliment by now.

"Blue Romance" is, in a way, what one could expect from a Symphonic Metal ballad; the opposite of a Doom dirge, with uplifting atmospheres and melodic progressions, the combination of beautiful keyboard work and the vocal delivery is dynamism on its own. The seemingly-introductory "Once Upon a Time" is a neat and tidy composition perfect for ripping open "Riverfall", which instantly screamed STRATOVARIUS to me the minute it started. Easily the heaviest track on the release, the riffs are extremely punchy, thanks to the delicious bass and kick-drum sound; later on, the track takes on a sound from KAMELOT's "Epica" era, which I'm reminded of many times. But I'll be damned if this band isn't ingeniously original; this track is everything a fan of the genre could hope for.

There are times when a Metal audiophile is taken aback by a discovery they have made, and this is one of them. With more material (which I hope they release soon!) I can see this band doing very well, not only for their local scene, but they sure deserve international attention.